Category: Rest

Muscle cramps hurt and they can also bring your workout to a dead halt. Dehydration, blood circulation, not stretching or muscle fatigue can all lead to muscle cramps. Use the tips below to help prevent cramps and/or stop muscle cramps altogether.

Sleep, or the lack of sleep, has a major impact on athletic performance, among other things. While many athletes are focused on things like finding the right energy bars to fit in with their caloric methods, they might be neglecting things like sleeping for the right amount of time.

What Does Sleep Do?

Sleeping is the body’s way of repairing itself and managing the information for the day. It’s like the late night filter that tosses out all the things you don’t need so that your body and brain aren’t full of useless information. It also helps repair tired muscles so that they can perform at their best on the next day. The recommended amount of sleep a person gets is 7-9 hours, but athletes in training should plan on sleeping more hours than that, since their bodies will need more healing and rest.

Performance Issues

Stanford University recently conducted a study to see how sleep affected performance in athletes. When athletes slept for 2 more hours than they normally did, their speed increased by 5%, while their free throw accuracy increased by 9%. Another study revealed that athletes who got a full night’s sleep experienced enhanced performance in the afternoon as opposed to the morning hours. While these studies touched on different details, it’s easy to see that sleep has a measurable impact on the performance of athletes, as well as an impact on what time of the day their performance is optimal.

Suggestions for Athletes

Just as athletes adjust their diets to include things like low-carb protein bars, they have to adjust their sleep schedule as well. If you are in training and therefore more active than usual, plan on going to bed a bit earlier. Remember that the body has to rest and repair while you sleep, so you need to give it ample time to do just that.

Avoid Sleep Aids

Sleep aids can impact the way you sleep and what your body does while sleeping. Instead of using sleep aids, consider developing a pattern that tells your body it’s time to go to sleep. Do the same thing every night to prepare your body for rest. You can even adjust your diet for this purpose. Just as you might eat energy bars to increase performance, consider drinking teas with natural relaxers to help relax the body and prepare it for sleep. Chamomile tea is one suggestion, but there are several other teas that also aid in relaxation.

Sleep deprivation can reduce your level of performance, while added hours of sleep can increase it. You should always get a good night’s sleep, but when you are in training, it’s even more important to make sure you add a bit extra to compensate for the extra effort your body is putting forth. It’s especially important that you avoid chemicals that can impact your sleep at this time, like alcohol and caffeine. Treat your body right by giving it the proper sleep and nutrition it needs, and it will treat you right by performing to the standards you require.

Promax Nutrition gives people who want better bodies the protein, vitamins, and minerals they need in delicious, gluten-free, vegetarian snack bars. To learn more about Promax Nutrition products, check us out online.

Do you wish you had great morning workouts? Ever find yourself envying those social media posts from your friends, humble-bragging about their predawn run? Are you wracked with guilt for hitting the snooze button yet again instead of hitting the pavement?

You may be inadvertently setting yourself up for failure. Setting healthy habits takes time and commitment, but there is also a strategy for giving yourself an edge. If you find yourself struggling to make that morning workout a reality, try these five steps for success.

1. Begin well the night before.

The old adage is true: a great morning starts with a good night. Don’t sabotage yourself by staying up too late, drinking heavily, eating poorly, or simply failing to plan. Instead, use your evening to get the rest and refreshment you need to start the new day right.

Be sure you are getting sufficient sleep, too. The average adult needs seven hours of sleep to be at their best; you may need a little more. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get your rest.

That means turning off the screens. Televisions, tablets, and laptops are too stimulating for before-bed relaxation. Instead, switch to reading, listening to music, or quietly conversing with your loved one for thirty minutes before sleeping.

2. Prepare your gear.

Get everything ready the evening before, that way in the early morning hours you won’t need to search for anything. Lay out your workout clothes, put your equipment and shoes by the door, and locate your pedometer and other gear. Your goal is to eliminate thinking from the early morning when you are still sleepy; you’ll just do it.

3. Set your alarm.

Be sure to set an alarm, because if you are struggling to make this a habit, you won’t automatically wake up early enough. Be sure your alarm is loud enough to rouse you, and set it a distance from your bed. If you have to walk across the room to turn it off, you are already upright, which is half the battle!

4. Hydrate well.

Drink at least one glass of water as soon as you wake up. This will help hydrate your muscles and wake up your system. If you are going to a gym, be sure to take a large water bottle with you to continue drinking through your workout. Be sure to drink a couple more glasses of water with your protein bar when you finish your workout.

5. Make a commitment.

It takes most people over a month of successful repetitions to set a new habit. Help yourself beat the curve by making a commitment to yourself and to others to stick to your morning routine. If possible, invite a fitness partner to workout with you each morning. The appointment will spur you to get going on tough days. If you can’t find an early morning workout buddy, at least call on a friend to hold you accountable to your commitment and ask you regularly if you have achieved your goal.

For more information about your workouts, check back each week for tips from Promax Nutrition.

Few Symptoms
Over half of all serious runners go through a period of over-training. Most never know – there are very few tangible signs that you’re over-training. Much more than simply running out of energy after a hard run, there is no pain associated with overtraining. Physiological factors like catecholamine excretion and neuromuscular patterns can be used to determine if a runner is overtraining. However, for the majority of runners, it’s hard to tell if that fatigue is part of the game or a symptom of something more serious.

Muscles Take A Beating
Overtraining is the result of repeatedly not recovering after workouts. Often in trying to overcome personal bests, athletes push themselves too hard. Especially true for marathon runners, the stress of training and running the race has serious impacts on your body. Studies have shown that a high-intensity training program can induce inflammation and muscle fiber necrosis that significantly impairs muscle power and durability for up to 14 days post marathon. Accordingly, it will take your muscles about 2 weeks post marathon to return to full strength.

Immune System Weakened
After hard training or finishing a big race, the body’s immune system is strongly compromised – for up to 3 days. Over-training can suddenly see deteriorating performance despite a vigorous workout schedule. Acting to nourish and rejuvenate after a major event or workout can help prevent the depletion of health.

The Signs Of Over-training

There are no obvious clues that you’ve pushed yourself over the limit. But if you are experiencing decreasing energy and your training is stagnant, the following symptoms might indicate you need to rest.

Moodiness — Over-training can lead to a decrease in hormone production. Specifically the hormone catecholamine, which can influence the sympathetic nervous system. This can lead to increased feelings of stress and moodiness. If you’re feeling increasingly irritable or stressed, it might be a sign that you’re training too hard.

Sickness – As noted above intense training can impair the immune system. If you find yourself getting sick more than usual, especially repeated bouts of the same virus, it could be a sign of over-training.

Trouble sleeping – While many factors such as diet or changing light levels throughout the year can cause sleeplessness, over-training can disturb your normal sleep patterns.

By educating yourself about the most common causes of over-training and recognizing the symptoms early, you can prevent yourself from stagnating in training and setting yourself back weeks, if not months.

Promaxbars have the protein and carbs you need after a hard workout. If you’re pushing yourself in the gym or crossing the finish line after a grueling marathon, Promax gives you the nutrients your body needs to recover.

Getting fit and staying fit is the best way to ensure a long, healthy life. Obesity is a serious problem for the United States, so combatting this problem begins at home. Filling up on protein bars can help you stay on a fit path, but there are many other things you can do to ensure a healthy lifetime. Here are four tips on everything from foods to exercise to keep you fit and healthy for the rest of your life.

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Getting your body moving is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Not only will exercise burn extra calories to help you shed pounds, exercise is good for your heart, muscles, and the rest of your body. You don’t have to hit the gym for four hours every day to get enough exercise. You can get enough exercise by walking, running, using a treadmill at home, or even just playing outside with your kids. The key is to get moving and stay moving — you want to raise your heartrate, just as you would at the gym.

Eat lots of colors. Eating right is another essential part of a healthy lifestyle. An easy way to ensure that you are eating right is to eat as many colors as possible — the more colors, the better! This includes fruits, veggies, meats, grains, etc. Try to make your plate as colorful as possible with every meal. This will ensure that your body is getting all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other essentials that it needs to stay healthy. Adding lots of colors in the veggie area will also help you keep those extra pounds away. Just remember — colors do not count in the sugary, sweet department!

Healthy bars can be a big help. Let’s face it — not everyone has time for a well-rounded meal several times a day. When your schedule gets in the way of eating a nice meal, you need an option that will fill you up without wrecking your eating habits. Avoid fast food and other convenience foods, and opt for a yummy health bar, such as the ones we offer. These bars are nutritionally balanced to support your lifestyle, and they contain all of the necessary nutrients your body needs to keep going throughout the day — they taste great, too. They are also perfect for a light snack during the day and for after a long workout.

Ask for help. You cannot afford to cut any corners when it comes to your health. So, if you are struggling to lose weight or design an exercise plan, ask for help. You can seek help from your friends and family, because they may want to join you on your fitness journey. You can also seek help from a professional , who can help you adjust your diet and exercise plan until it is perfect.

Contact us today at Promax to learn more about staying fit and healthy with the help of our delicious bars.